Wow, I didn’t even realize a new episode was on tonight. “Which Springfield?”, “The one the Simpsons live in!” 
Since when is the Simpsons a documentary?
“E Pluribus Wiggum” KABF03
Written by Michael Price
This one had potential, but fell apart somewhere around the third act. I get the main message is that “These Presidential candidates are so uninteresting and useless, a mentally challenged child would probably do a better job,” but there should have been more than just that. The opening bits were good (I liked the reference to “Jerkass Homer,” a term used online for when Homer acts stupider than he normally does), and I liked that they not only poked fun at the Republicans as being evil and corrupt (as they usually do), but also the Democrats as being gay and foreigner-loving hippies who always lose to Republicans. (I can only think of one other time the show poked fun at Democratic stereotypes, in “Bart Gets An Elephant,” where Republican HQ is seen with a slogan “We’re just plain evil” and “We want what’s worst for everyone” and Democrat HQ with “We can’t govern” and “We hate life and ourselves.” I did like some of the restaraunt names (General Chang’s Taco Italiano) and the political ad claiming that a candidate supported a terrorist just because there was an article on one next to his in the same newspaper. (“That was the best milkshake ad ever!”) Dan Rather making fun of his own bizarre metaphors was funny, but Jon Stewart’s appearance was weak. Either way, I’m voting for Ralph.
“Be a Democrat, be with Alec Baldwin. They have Stephen Baldwin, they might as well not even have a Baldwin.”
Probably my favorite part other than Ralph’s commercial.
This one should have had the “It was all a dream” ending. Lisa should have woken up at the last minute, turned on the TV and seen yet another dumb political ad or something. Prior to that, it wasn’t spectacularly funny, but it was a pretty good satire. I liked the Arianna Huffington character, and the Democratic Party meeting had a great cast of characters. It got a little too earnest in the end, though. I know the ads and candidates are stupid, and I enjoy laughing about it, but I don’t really need The Simpsons to tell me about it.
Please someone spoil the end, I missed the ending off the DVR. I was really enjoying this episode, it had many laughs.
The Democrats and Republicans both want Ralph. He ends up running on a combined ticket. The commerical ends with a political ad: “Compassionate. Tough. Curious. These are all words Ralph Wiggum doesn’t need to know. He lives them every day.” It ends with Ralph on Lincoln’s leg, believing he’s Santa Claus: “I want a dog who won’t eat my Hot Wheels, and a stronger America!” He places a finger in his nose and his slogan appears: Ralph Wiggum- Pick A Winner!
I liked this one. Liked the theme and the presentation. There were some good one-liners, too.
Fred Thompson: “Hey, come on! I was in Die Hard!”
Homer: snort “Die Hard Two.”
I was taken by surprise by the abrupt non-ending, but maybe it was better that way than it would have been with some attempt at resolution.
I enjoyed the episode. It made me laugh several times, including at the Baldwin line and Homer’s imagining the think tank (“What? I’m not allowed to get one right?”)
The best thing about this episode was the Bayeux-tapistry opening. The rest was a real muddle, and there was plenty of filler (such as the opening scene, when Homer’s call went on wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too long).
But what struck me the most was how generic the topical humor was. The digs at the two parties were rather broad (not to mention recycled), and hasn’t the statute of limitations run out on Bill Clinton jokes?
Overall a lifeless effort that wen’t from bad to worse to we-have-no-idea-how-to-end-this. Worst…episode…ever.
As long as a Clinton is in the public eye (say, running for President) then Clinton jokes are still allowed under the SoL.
That doesn’t mean that such jokes are funny, mind you. Especially when the same exact joke has been done on the same show years ago (Oh yes…all those things i did <Sideshow Bob>).
I liked how Krusty kept trying to steal a joke from Jon Stewart and Stewart’s outburst: “Keep my zingers out of your mouth!”
I thought the Clinton stuff was actually pretty funny - particularly his endorsement of Ralph.
“we should loosen lending standards for micronesia.”
I liked the phone call, “dance like a happy prospector”.
Burns was loving it. He started clapping along, then there was no real resolution to the joke. Burns just left.
Good episode. I like Ralph.
Thank you, I didn’t miss much then, it sounds like the episode didn’t have a clear conclusion, I thought I must have missed that.
I guess the fact that “The Simpsons” has done such good political humor in the past (e.g. George Bush Sr. moves in across the street, the Treehouse of Horror on the eve of the 1996 election) that I expected more than just the usual “primaries are a media circus” meme. Making jokes at Dan Rather’ expense is a bit like satirizing Dan Quayle, and the Jon Stewart bit wasn’t really satire as much as it was a good “get” (couldn’t they have found just one thing to say about “The Daily Show” being taken more seriously than many regular news outlets? The “Krusty-steals-jokes” bit was just lazy.).
The closest they came was Nelson’s “Ha-ha, your media is dying.” Meh.
Is it really fair to call that one “political humor”? I’d say (as would the Simpsons’ creators, if I remember the commentary track correctly) that what they were aiming at in that episode was something other than political humor/satire. And maybe the same is true, to some extent, of this recent episode.
Better examples of the Simpsons getting political would be the one where Lisa writes a winning essay and goes to Washington D.C., and “Sideshow Bob Roberts.”
I realize now that this episode was made months ago. Last night, though, I was thinking the writer’s strike was the show’s “reason” Jon Stewart had no funny lines.
I kept waiting for John Stewart to come along and punch out Jon Stewart with a power-ringed boxing glove for stealing his name.
“Two Bad Neighbors” takes a caricature of Bush and puts him in a spoof of Dennis the Menace. They’re making fun of Bush’s persona, and his/Barbara’s/Quayle’s criticism of the show, not his politics exactly. I think Bart’s response to the whole “we need more families like The Waltons and fewer like the Simpsons”* is as funny as anything in “Two Bad Neighbors.”
I would say last night’s episode was political. They mostly avoided specific politicians (they sort of had to if the thing was done months ago), but took some pretty specific shots at both parties and current U.S. political culture.
By the way, Jon Stewart was around before John Stewart.
*“Hey, we’re just like the Waltons - we’re both praying for an end to the Depression!” It was used in a couch gag somewhere, but I forget where. The Bushes really had a problem with The Simpsons, but I guess the Simpsons had more endurance.